Bad Blood
by PengYn
Summary: Circumstance forces James and Juliet to confront, and come to terms with, their pasts. A Days of Dharma fic. Chapter 9/9 is up and this fic is now complete.
1. Killer Queen

**A/N: 'Bad Blood' is 1975 hit by Neil Sedaka and the lyrics were the overall inspiration for this fic. 'Killer Queen' is a 1975 hit by Queen. Story takes place in February of 1975.**

**Chapter One: Killer Queen**

_She's a Killer Queen_

_Gunpowder, gelatine_

_Dynamite with a laser beam_

Juliet wondered, not for the first time, why she was always so quick to defend her actions. It was a defense mechanism, she realized, a way of keeping the people who got too close to her at bay. James Ford was no exception. He may just be unraveling her one precious layer at a time, but that was okay because she had plenty more to go before he tore down all her protective walls.

She hadn't meant to snap at him either, but the feel of his finger tips as he touched her brought back the memory of the last time someone had touched her there – when they had burned her with the mark of her shame. But back then, she still held hope for rescue. A dark-haired surgeon with kind eyes had done his best to soothe the pain, even from behind the bars of his cage. She saw _his_ desire for freedom mirroring her own and she allowed herself to hope that this man would get her off the Island that enslaved her. But he left her behind, just like everyone before. The memory and pain had faded with time - it really _was_ easy to ignore when no one could question - until the enmity between her and her people was dredged up again by the curiosity of one man.

_Damn him._

Juliet's day had started out so well, which is why she was currently cursing nature for changing its direction.

***

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

James heard her before he saw her. The dull clunk of a saucepan hitting the sink alerted him to the fact she was in the kitchen.

"Am I safe?" he called out, shutting the front door behind him.

"Yes!" she called back. He heard amusement in her tone and took that as a good sign that whatever was "ow", was not seriously so.

He sauntered into the kitchen to find her rubbing at her arm, a chicken casserole stood on the counter behind her.

"What didja do?" his tone was playful and almost sing-song.

Juliet blew at a strand of hair obscuring her vision. "I – um – went for a walk at lunch and kind of, sort of, accidentally walked into some nettles."

He smirked. "Were you always such a Clumsy Kelly? 'Cause your track record's startin' to suck."

She rolled her eyes, and grinned. "I didn't do it on purpose."

"_Course_ ya didn't."

Juliet whacked him with the dishcloth. "They were just… there."

"You get a rash for ruinin' their day?" he grinned. He could've sworn he saw her pout before she turned to take out the dinner plates. When she reached into the cupboard he spotted the angry red tendrils snaking up her arm.

"Here lemme get that." He said, nudging her out of the way.

She looked at him with amusement. "Don't go all macho on me, James. It's just a rash."

"I ain't bein' macho, woman. And if I don't help you now, in two hours you'll be tellin' me I shoulda and I'll never here the end of it." He took the plates and cutlery through to the dining table. "And don't you go rollin' your eyes at me, you know I'm right."

Juliet stopped her eyes mid-roll and smiled widely. She brought the casserole to the table and started dishing, while James poured them each a glass of wine. Sitting down, they dug into their dinners – James attacked his with gusto while Juliet used her fork to spearhead a piece of chicken before popping it into her mouth.

"Did they get you anywhere else?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"The nettles you kinda, sorta,_ accidentally_ walked into."

"Oh, yeah. Round my stomach, and they even managed to climb all the way up my back somehow. I want to say that it doesn't sting like hell," she swallowed another mouthful. "But I'd be lying."

He smiled. "Sorry."

She shrugged.

"You see the doc?" he asked.

"For a rash? No."

He shook his head. "Shoulda gone to see him."

"I'll be fine, James. I've got an anti-inflammatory and that should work."

"Stubborn." He muttered between mouthfuls.

They continued eating in amicable silence.

Eventually he raised his head and pointed his fork at her. "After dinner go find me that cream and I'll do your back for ya. I know you couldn't have got it all."

"Really it's fine, I can – "

He stretched out his arm as far as it would go, and waggled the fork. "No arguments."

Juliet nodded once, pressing her lips into a thin line. James sighed from across the table. "Sometimes I think you do that deliberately."

"What?" she asked.

"I bet you spend _hours_ tryin' to come up with ways to get me all hot and bothered." he quipped lightly.

She smiled, spearing another forkful. "I don't have to spend hours, James. With you, it's _surprisingly_ easy."

***

Juliet snuck into her bedroom, while she let James tackle the dishes, and uncapped the anti-inflammatory cream. She wasn't sure why she was being so protective over her body, she certainly wasn't a prude, and as a doctor she wasn't embarrassed by naked flesh either. Perhaps it was the remnant of tension left over from New Years. It had been over a month since they'd greeted 1975 by ignoring the party and kissing instead. They never spoke of their feverish exploration of each others mouths and they never treated each other any differently than they had before. However, their decision to ignore it meant there was always a current between them, pulsing steadily like a heartbeat. _Yep. That's it._ Juliet thought. _Better to just do it myself._

She was half way through with her front when she heard a cough from behind her. Glancing through the mirror, she saw James standing in the doorway with an eyebrow raised and his arms folded across his chest. She had the grace to look shamefaced. He walked over to her and without saying a word, plucked the tube of cream out of her hand. Turning her gently by the shoulder, he lowered one tank top strap and then the other, and gently massaged some of the cream into her swollen skin. Juliet used one hand to hold her shirt in place, and placed the other one over her lower back. She wasn't aware she was holding her breath until she started feeling lightheaded, and exhaled suddenly. James mistook the action for discomfort.

"That sting?" he asked.

"Yeah." She lied.

He put her straps back in place. "Okay, lower half if you please."

Juliet hesitated. "I can do that part, it's not as difficult."

"Well I'm here now, ain't no point in wasting a good pair of hands."

"James – "

"Juliet, enough! It'll take me two seconds." he said sharply, removing the hand from her back and lifting her shirt up in one movement. "What the –"

Juliet winced.

James couldn't help but trace his fingers over the strange symbol. It looked as if it had been carved into her lower back. The scar stood out more than any of the temporary tendrils did, a kind of upside down cross with four lines running from the center of the horizontal.

"Juliet? What?"

"Please don't ask." She breathed.

"Juliet."

"Forget it." She tugged her shirt down and turned to face him. "It's nothing." She took the tube of cream from his hand and headed for the bathroom.

He went after her. "Hey! Wait a sec! Who the hell branded you like a piece of cattle?"

She swung toward him, her stare cold and icy. "James, drop it."

He followed her into the bathroom and cornered her at the sink. "No I won't drop it. You don't get a scar like that from fallin' off a bike. So why don't you tell me where the Holy Grail is?"

"What?" she was staring him down, but her confusion was evident.

James sighed, and softened his tone. "Indiana Jones. Last Crusade. Mark's almost identical to the – look never mind that – I'm guessing you're not protectin' nothin'?"

She could feel the heat off his body and the intensity of his gaze caused Juliet to glance away. "Please just… go away. It's none of your business."

"Did _they_ do this to you? _Your_ people, the Others?"

"They haven't been _my people_ in a long time. Now go away!" she said forcefully, her temper rising.

"Was this is a ritual? Cataloguing the herd, so you can identify the enlightened ones?"

"James!"

"Well _what_ then!?"

"You _really_ want to know?" she snarled.

"Yes dammit!"

"It's a mark of my betrayal!"

Silence fell between them. They were both red in the face, their breathing irregular and heavy. Juliet folded her arms across her chest, trying to create a barrier between them. Hopefully one he wouldn't try to break down.

"Betrayal of what?" he asked quietly.

Juliet just looked at the floor.

"Juliet, why'd they give you that mark?" he pressed.

She raised her head to stare at him, her voice barely a whisper. "Because of _you_. Because I _helped_ you. And because I killed one of my own people so that you…could escape." She pushed him aside and headed for the door, before turning back to face him. "It's my 'Bad Blood'. You should know something about that - _Sawyer_."

***


	2. Morning Side of the Mountain

**A/N: 'Morning Side of the Mountain'**** is a 1975 hit by Donny and Marie Osmond.**

Chapter Two – Morning Side of the Mountain

_There was a girl, there was a boy  
If they had met they might have found a world of joy  
But he lived on the morning side of the mountain  
And she lived on the twilight side of the hill_

He'd been up a full hour before he heard her stir. He was sitting back on one of the dining room chairs, his feet propped up on the table and a book in his hand. He knew it would annoy her, and he knew it would annoy her even more if he did it with his boots on which is why he'd made extra sure to walk through the flower beds that morning. It wasn't that he particularly wanted to release the banshee again. He just didn't like it all that much when someone walked out on him and slammed the door in his face. So he was making a point, even if he didn't quite know what it was just yet.

Juliet walked through sometime later. She paused when she saw him – sitting there with his chair swung back and his boots soiled. His nose pretended to be fascinated by his book, but he could almost hear her jaw working. She stood there for almost a minute, and he imagined she was either chewing the lining of her cheeks raw, or she was biting the hell out of her lip. Eventually she stalked off to the kitchen to make her breakfast, releasing her frustration by banging cupboard doors and setting things down with a _clunk_. James felt his point had been made, and he took his feet off the table.

Juliet came back in with a bowl of cereal in hand and sat down opposite him. She chewed in silence, pretending that the dark bits of sand now decorating the table weren't bothering her. He knew they were, because every now and then she shot dirty looks at the table cloth. When she was finished she got up without a word, took her bowl and his discarded plate of toast back to the kitchen. James smiled a little, and got up to go and brush his teeth. He heard the front door open and then after a minute close again. He could hear her coming back down the hallway and watched through the mirror as Juliet walked into the bathroom, took her own toothbrush and squeezed at the tube of toothpaste. They stood, in silence, brushing their teeth as if they were in competition to see who could do it the fastest. James rinsed his mouth out and dropped his toothbrush into the holder. He threw her a sarcastic smile, and went off to get his jumpsuit.

A minute later he popped his head around the bathroom door. "Hey. Where's my jumpsuit?"

She looked at him, her toothbrush hanging loosely out of her mouth and uttered one word. "Flower-bed." She turned away from him and rinsed. He stared at her until she had no choice but to turn around again. He studied her and decided that the twinkle in her eye was her way of fighting off a smile. Sure enough, the corners of her mouth were twitching. He was still angry with her for the words she'd thrown at him the night before, but petty squabbling aside; he didn't want to exacerbate the situation even further. He lowered his eyes at her before heading for the front door. He walked round the outside of their house, searching the ground for his uniform. He found it moments later and sighed. "Son of a bitch." The woman had only gone and _buried_ the damn thing!

***

By lunchtime, James was feeling guilty for deliberately trying to goad a reaction out of her. He knew she liked to keep the house clean for the simple fact she spent all day knee-deep in motor oil. She was also particular about her things. He remembered the day he used her razor to trim his beard - they hadn't been living together very long and he hadn't had time to learn all the general do's and don'ts. Apparently using her razor was a "don't". She didn't speak to him for a week.

As Head of Security he was technically always on call. But _as_ Head of Security he could also take certain liberties – like giving himself the afternoon off every once in a while, especially given he was going to have a bitch of a day tomorrow.

He drove the jeep over to the motor-pool, parking it right where he knew she'd be working and thus ensuring that none of the other grease monkeys came over to investigate.

Juliet was sitting on the work top biting into a sandwich, and raised an eyebrow at his approach. She was sure she'd had this fight before. But James just hopped out of the vehicle and raised one hand in a wave, before opening up the hood. Juliet jumped down and headed over. She stood next to him, hands on hips and gave an uncanny impression of him. "What didja do?"

He couldn't contain the grin. "I think I broke it, or somethin'."

Juliet rolled her eyes, trying not to feel too guilty about the dark spots on his uniform. "Go make yourself useful and get me a toolbox."

James complied, leaving her to dig inside the engine. He watched as she moved back and forth, wrench in one hand, oil in the other. Rather than risk eating the rest of her sandwich, he thought it'd be safe if he checked the pressure in the tires.

"You got a license for handling that?" Juliet asked, poking the wrench in his direction.

"Darlin' I'm a country boy. I grew up on bad roads." He told her.

"_Uh huh_." She replied. She sounded amused, even though he couldn't see her expression.

He started on the third tire and from his new vantage point watched as she frowned at the engine. "You up for a boat trip?"

"What?" she called.

"Zodiac's motor's havin' PMS, an' I don't wanna be caught out there tomorrow with a bunch of kids." He replied.

"Out where?"

"On the water… y'know… where boats usually go?"

Juliet gave an exasperated sigh. "No. _Where_ are you _going_?"

"Oh." He amended. "Field trip to Hydra Island. Looks like Uncle Jim gets to babysit. Just wanna make sure we got a mechanic around."

Juliet smiled and accepted the olive branch. "Sure."

James smiled as if she'd just promised him pie, causing Juliet to grin even more. She lowered the hood back down and wiped her hands on the cloth hanging from the pocket of her jumpsuit.

"You find the problem?" James asked.

"There's nothing wrong with the jeep, James. But you already know that."

He gave her a sheepish look. "So why were you diggin' around so long?"

"I gave it a service." She shrugged.

It was _his_ turn to roll his eyes. He helped her return the tools, and toss the empty cans of motor oil. She walked back with him, and waited while he climbed into the vehicle and closed the door. Leaning on the door frame she cocked her head and smirked. "Any other parts you want servicin' sugar?"

His shoulders shook in silent laughter as the dimples in his cheeks worked overtime. "You wanna rephrase that?" He watched as her face took on a slightly darker shade of pink.

She stood up and placed her hands casually on her hips. "I was talking about the jeep. Don't know what _you_ were thinking about." She teased.

"_Uh huh_." He replied.

He put the stick into reverse and backed up, giving him room to turn. He glanced through the rearview mirror as he drove off and she was still standing there, watching him go. He watched as she ran a hand through her hair and then brought it down to cover her face. He grinned and decided that even though folks could come from two different worlds, flirting was universal.

***


	3. Dreamweaver

**A/N: 'Dreamweaver' is a 1976 hit by Gary Wright. The 'Bad Blood' lyrics are by Neil Sedaka.**

Chapter Three – Dreamweaver

Fly me high through the starry skies

And maybe to an astral plane

Cross the highways of fantasy

Help me forget today's pain

_She was running through the jungle, heart pounding in her ears. Her shoulder burned, the friction in the joint cutting like glass. Her body was being pulled away, led by the silver bracelet on her other arm. She fell and all around her was mud and stones. There was someone else too. They shared the silver bracelet and it bound them together as they ran, ran away from smoke and monsters. Her chest was lead, it hurt to breathe. There was too much pain, too much heartache. She held on to her sister, it hurt to say goodbye. Then she was gone. She woke up in the dark, groggy and disoriented. Hands pulled her up, up, out into the sky. So blue, so beautiful – a world where miracles happened. But the miracles turned to anguish, fear, dread, and pain as she slept in a world without hope. She gasped for air, searching desperately for relief, but none came. She cried, and screamed, and it hurt – it hurt so much she didn't want to breathe anymore. Hot coals tore into her flesh, burning her, marking her. Her fists clenched, scraping away the skin on her hands. Dark clouds chased her, haunting her. She could've run, could've left them all behind. But she stayed, and freighters burned, and rum warmed her aching wounds. Left behind. Left behind instead. "You said that you had it made… but you been had…the woman no good…no how… thinkin' maybe the blood is bad."_

_She was sitting on a dock. She was going to leave. But what was two weeks? Nothing really. But two weeks became a house, and a family, and motor oil. It was books, and vinyl, and flower-power. It was security, and comfort, and warm lips that tasted like Dharma beer. She was walking through a field of wildflowers, debating politics and shooting down crooked grins. She was laughing so much it hurt - not like the pain had hurt – it was different and she didn't want it to end. It made her forget. Forget…_

Juliet woke to the feeling of someone shaking her ankle. Her mind was foggy, trying to cling to a dream she was already forgetting.

"Hey, we gotta get goin' soon." Someone said. The voice was gruff and authoritative.

She moaned and rolled onto her stomach, trying to bury her head under the pillow. "Mm uh." She mumbled.

Something heavy sank into the mattress beside her. She didn't care what it was, as long as it didn't move again and didn't bother her.

"Come on." The heavy thing told her. "Get up."

Reality became clearer and she poked her head out from underneath her pillow, her eyes still closed. "What time is it?"

"Five." Came the voice. James' voice. _Oh yes, he lives here too doesn't he?_ Her sleepy brain recalled. _Five am?_

"What? Issssaturday." She grumbled.

"Yes it is Saturday, Sunshine. But we still gotta go. We're meeting our posse at six."

The dent that was James left the bed and broke the sound barrier as he stomped across the floor.

Juliet groaned and opened her eyes to look at him. "You did this on purpose."

James turned around, his eyes twinkling. "If I make you some coffee will you get outta the bed?"

Juliet crinkled her brow, the urge to be stubborn fighting the sweet appeal of caffeine. She settled on throwing her pillow at him. "And toast."

***

Juliet stood on the dock, chewing on a pen and staring down at the clipboard in her hand. She wasn't quite sure how she got stuck with the job of checking off names. All she knew was that the two teachers who had organized this little "adventure" were conspicuously absent. And by "conspicuously absent", she meant the bastards were sleeping in and would show up one minute before departure. She shivered. The sun was only just starting to make an appearance, the sky a pinky-orange hue in the dawn. Parents of grumpy children yawned and huddled together on the grass, no doubt waiting for the moment when they could shuffle back to bed. She glanced over at James. He was on his hands and knees at the end of the dock, his back to her, leaning into one of the Zodiacs. She was still staring at him when he turned around and looked at her.

"Can I help you with somethin'? Only, the view is a couple thousand feet up from where _you're_ lookin'."

She blinked and shook her head in time to register the smirk on his face. "Be quiet. I'm still half-asleep."

"_Uh huh_." He replied.

She lowered her eyes at him and pretended to be interested in the piece of paper on the clipboard. James walked past her a little while later and dumped a dozen lifejackets on the ground. Children, already bored with waiting, vied for the ones that were clearly a "better" dull brown and spent the next fifteen minutes figuring out how to get them on. A few of them were already in tears because they didn't get the one they wanted, and a young boy who looked about eight was adamant that his was not up to health and safety standards.

James headed toward Juliet and rolled his eyes. "Day hasn't even started yet."

Juliet smiled. "They'll feel better when they get out on the open water."

"I'm gonna hold you to that." He told her, glancing out at the parents who'd come to see there children off. "What's with the farewell committee? They all live about five seconds _that-away_. Kids coulda walked."

Juliet gave him a look. "Maybe because they're _kids_. Because they're going on a _boat_, and their parents want to make sure their children are _safe_. _And _as long as _they're_ here, _you_ don't have to babysit."

"Alright, alright, don't be a wiseass." He grumbled.

"You woke me up at five am, James. I own the rights to _wiseass_ for at_ least_ another few hours." She replied.

"Sorry we're late." It was one of the teachers, a redheaded woman with a Texan burr. "Alarm didn't go off."

"How convenient." James drawled. "What's the other one's excuse?"

Juliet whacked him in the arm. "It's fine, Caroline. Everyone else seems to be here and I've ticked off all their names." She handed over the clipboard, smiling sweetly.

They both watched as the teachers brought order to the children. James leant into her. "Did that smile of yours just give you a cavity?"

Juliet flicked her eyes up at him. "_Wafer_ thin ice."

He smirked, and started to follow the line of kids making their way along the dock. "Good to know I can return the favor, get you all hot an' bothered."

"It's more bothered, than hot." She shot back, a smile tugging the corners of her lips.

They helped twelve children into two Zodiacs, and watched as the two teachers clambered in awkwardly. James gestured at the first craft. "Ladies first."

"Thanks." She smiled. "And, La Fleur?"

"Mm?" he raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"Make it a smooth ride. You _are_ meant to be a boat captain after all."

***


	4. Thank God I'm a Country Boy

**A/N: 'Thank God I'm a Country Boy' is a 1975 hit by John Denver. This chapter took the fic in a slightly different direction to where I thought it might go, but such is the nature of fic I guess!  
**

Chapter Four – Thank God I'm a Country Boy

_Well life on the farm is kinda laid back_

_Ain't much an old country boy like me can't hack_

_It's early to rise, early in the sack_

_I thank God I'm a country boy_

"Now everyone, let's all remember our backpacks and don't forget to thank Mister La Fleur here for bringing us all the way out to Hydra Island today."

A choir of kids sang "Thanks Mister La Fleur", though James noted that the boys were less enthusiastic about thanking him than the girls were. Their teacher – who he'd silently nicknamed Chatty-Sue – hovered around him while he collected up the lifejackets. She seemed content to let her colleague organize the children into whatever the hell teachers organized their kids into.

"Now we'll be taking the kids 'round all the usual attractions – the aquarium, the aviaries, and the polar bear cages. But we'll also be exploring local plant life after lunch and they'll be doing some sketches..." She was saying.

James pretended to be interested as she began a diatribe about photosynthesis, but it was only when she touched his upper arm and didn't let go that he caught on to why she was yammering about something called "phloem" with such affection. He shot a desperate look at Juliet, who was still securing the last Zodiac. He couldn't quite read her expression, but she made it clear he was on his own.

"…So thank you ever so much for being our escort for the day. I know _I _very much appreciate you bein' here." She concluded, giving a squeeze to his bicep.

"Yeah that's great. Look, just stay in the designated zones. Make sure no one wanders off and we'll all get along swell." He told her, noticing the look of disappointment in her eyes before she rejoined the group.

Juliet sidled up to him. "I think you broke her heart."

"Don't you start." He quipped.

"What? You couldn't take _five_ seconds to flirt back?" she asked.

"She reminds me of my eighth grade science teacher. For all I know she _was_ my eighth grade science teacher! And _that _woman hated me."

Juliet laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"How is it _my_ fault she hated me?"

"Surely you can think of _something _you might have done to upset her?"

"No." he said defensively, before walking out onto the sand. "Although there was this one time when Tyler Lynch and I set twenty-three lab rats free inside the cafeteria… durin' lunch."

Juliet laughed again, and joined him on the sand.

"What? You never pull any school stunts there Geekmo?" he teased.

She shot him a look. "I was a model student I'll have you know."

"Kinda stepped on my point there."

"There are ways to be nicer to people you know?"

"Enlighten me."

"I may just have to." She said, smiling playfully.

He grinned back, and then nodded in the direction of the group making its way into the jungle. "She ain't my type."

"Someone doesn't have to be your type for you to flirt with them. I flirt with the guys at the motor-pool all the time, doesn't mean I want to sleep with them." She replied, heading out after them.

James frowned. He felt very annoyed all of a sudden.

***

An hour later, after an excruciatingly long lesson about jellyfish delivered in text-book monotone, he ducked through the dark underground tunnels of the aquarium until he found the other students. The last straw had been when a young girl had pointed at the tank and cried "Mr. Zelner! Do jellyfish have feelings?"

The other students were hovering around the whale tank, 'oohing' and 'aahing' over the majestic creatures within. Juliet was sitting on a bench next to a kid who seemed to care _less_ about this little excursion than _he_ did. The undergrounds of the aquarium were dark and damp, the green of the walls and the reflection of the water casting an eerie glow over the scene. It was only when he got closer that he saw that the kid was Ben Linus, his head buried so far in his book that his pre-pubescent nose must have been greasing the pages. Juliet was staring up at the whales, but there was a rigidity to the way she was sitting, and James knew she was uncomfortable. He leant against one of the walls, arms folded across his chest, and listened to the end of a lecture on whale-hunting and how "if we're not careful, one day they'll all be gone and all we'll have left for our children is a legacy of picture books."

The group moved on, presumably toward the shark tanks, and James took the seat recently vacated by the young Ben. "Kids are barely off their trainin' wheels and she's goin' on about their doomed future sprouts."

Juliet sighed deeply, still looking at the whales swimming inside the tank.

"You okay?" he asked.

She looked at him as if she'd only just noticed he was there. "Yeah. Just… stuck inside my own head I guess."

"Somethin' you wanna share with the class there Ace?"

She shook her head, pressing a thumb and forefinger to the ridge of her nose. He looked away and watched the whales instead.

"I know he's a kid. And I know we don't exactly have a choice here, I just get… I don't know." She paused and bit her lip. "He ordered me to help you and Kate. He said that if I did, he'd let me go. I could leave."

It was the first time that she'd brought up the subject of their recent argument. He didn't want to risk another, so he leant forward and rested his elbows on his knees, pretending to be interested in the marine animals.

"He lied." She said eventually.

"He does that." James replied.

Juliet blinked a couple of times, but said nothing.

"He's just a kid now, Juliet. Yeah he's quiet and weird, but he ain't a monster yet." he continued. "Best we can do is treat him like we would any other kid."

Juliet looked at him curiously. "Wouldn't have expected that from you."

"Yeah well if there's one thing I know, it's that people aren't always what they once were."

She leaned forward, matching his position and he turned his head to look at her.

"You're right." She said.

"Happens occasionally." He replied.

She smiled. "I'm sorry I took it out on you. I was out of line and you didn't deserve that. I just… I hate the memory of what they did to me and I didn't want anyone to… I didn't want you to see."

James brought his hand up and cupped it around the back of her neck, resting it in her hair. "We all got our ghosts Princess."

She nodded and sniffed. "Bad blood."

"If you're meaning your estrangement with your people, then yeah I get that. But if you talkin' about _you_ personally… well you don't look so bad to me." He gave her a crooked grin that caused her to cross her eyes. "Come on. Let's get outta this moldy hole."

He stood and she followed suit. She barked a laugh and the sound caused him to turn back toward her. "Who woulda thought?" She smiled.

He raised his eyebrows as she overtook him and disappeared round the exit.

"What?" he called.

"That you'd wind up here," her voice echoed back. "Playing nice with the girl who once tasered your sorry ass to the floor."

He grinned and headed after her. "Hey _which _toothbrush is yours again?"

***

They squinted as daylight hit their eyes, momentarily blinding their senses. The jungle seemed loud in comparison with the calm of the aquarium. They followed their charges along a winding pathway, James' thoughts were travelling more along the lines of lunch rather than where they were going and it was only when he heard a low growl coming from somewhere ahead of him that he stopped dead. Juliet walked right into him.

"We goin' where I think we're goin'?" he asked.

"If you mean the polar bear cages then yes, James, that's exactly where we're going." She replied.

He swallowed. His throat was dry, and his tongue felt thick in his mouth.

"You okay?" Juliet asked.

"Peachy." He grunted, picking up the pace again.

They hadn't gone far when they heard a deafening roar and the sound of a shotgun being fired. James and Juliet had already drawn their rifles before two teachers and twelve children ducked down into the brush.

"What are those yahoos shootin' at?" he grumbled.

"You want me to walk out there and find out?" she shot back.

"Get 'em to the safety house. Wait scratch that, get 'em back to the aquarium, the doors are steel."

"James – "

"Go dammit!"

Juliet nodded. "Be careful. You don't know what you're walking into."

He met her gaze. "Sweetheart, I'm a country boy. I can handle anythin'."

***


	5. Bungle in the Jungle

**A/N: 'Bungle in the Jungle' is a 1975 hit by Jethro Tull. A big thank you to everyone who is reading, and thanks muchly to those who have left such wonderful comments. Due to the speed at which I seem to be posting I haven't had the chance to get back to each and every one of you. Please know that I appreciate you all very much!! It's the comments that keep me writing.**

Chapter Five – Bungle in the Jungle

_Let's bungle in the jungle – well that's all right by me_

_I'm a tiger when I want love_

_But I'm a snake if we disagree._

Juliet counted eighteen shots before her group cleared the tree line and raced into the safety of the aquarium. When James had told her to take the children and run, she had forced her thoughts to focus on his order, simply to avoid thinking about what _he_ might be running into.

Being in the Dharma Initiative had taught her to unwind, but being an _Other_ had given her a discipline that overrode any sense of panic whenever her complacency was disrupted. If anyone was wondering why a woman from the motor-pool was telling them what to do, they didn't question it. Most of the people here were biologists, working with plant properties or weighing polar bear feces. The most dangerous part of their day was if they happened to inhale too deeply, and none of them had any idea what to do beyond getting to safety. The scientists she picked up along the way were more than happy to be told what to do, and Juliet directed them into the confines of the underground tunnels. She shut and bolted the door behind her, and turned around. Thirty terrified faces stared back at her.

"What happened?" one of the scientists asked.

"I don't know." Juliet replied.

"I heard shots. Are we under attack?" someone else piped up.

"I don't know." Juliet repeated.

"Are the rest of our team okay?" asked a third.

"I know as much as you do right now." She sighed.

Thirty voices started talking at once. Juliet walked towards the crowd, blowing air out of her mouth. "Look, why don't we all just calm down, and take a deep breath. The security team will be on it, and Mr. La Fleur is out there right now trying to help."

She knelt down next to a young boy – she recognized him as the kid who'd been unhappy with his lifejacket – he was trying furiously to rub the tears off of his face. Juliet placed her arms on his shoulders and smiled. "Hey."

Watery eyes stared back at her, accompanied by a trembling lip. Juliet wiped at the boy's tears. "Hey, it's okay. Whatever's going on out there, Mr. La Fleur's going to fix it. Okay?"

The boy nodded his head half a dozen times, causing Juliet to smile. She touched a finger to his nose and stood up to talk to the adults.

"Do you think Jim will be okay?" it was Caroline, her voice just a little too dramatic.

"Yes." Juliet said automatically, feeling a twinge of annoyance. Hadn't she _just_ said he'd be fine?

"I'm sure he's very capable." Caroline continued. "I just get so worried when things like this happen, an' Jim's such a nice guy."

Juliet blinked.

"Always so helpful, and makin' sure people get around safely and all. And he's got that broody kinda look about him too, that bad boy kinda charm. _Very_ southern. I'm from Texas so I should know - we have our fair share of them." She gave a high-pitched giggle. "Is Jim from Texas?"

"Alabama." Juliet deadpanned.

"Oh well we're practically related then." She drawled. "But look at me just babbling on at you. I just get so worried when things like this happen, an' Jim's such a nice guy."

Her composure slipped and Juliet's eyebrows shot up into her hairline.

"I was thinking of asking him over for a drink one evening, do you think he'd accept? You know him better 'n anybody else."

Juliet forced her lips into a weak smile. "I think… you'd have to ask him." She turned around to address the rest of the room. "Does anyone know the emergency protocol?"

"We get to cover, and wait for security to sound the all-clear." One of the scientists spoke up. "It'll come in over the speakers so there's no confusion."

Juliet nodded. "Good. Then I want everybody to stay inside and don't move until you know it's safe."

"Why, where are you going?" it was Bob Zelner, the other teacher.

Juliet grasped the door handle and pulled. "To find out what the hell is going on."

***

She hadn't intended to go marching off into the jungle by herself, but the thought of being cooped up for what could turn out to be hours with _Little Miss Texas_, was too much to bear. She knew it was silly to be this irritated – after all she lived with one of the most eligible men in the DI, and she knew that Caroline wasn't the first person to cast an interested glance at James. Juliet liked balance, and she wasn't all that fond of the idea of someone upsetting it. She also didn't want to think that she couldn't possibly hold onto this life, or him, forever. Maybe it was selfish, but a part of her needed that right now, to believe that the life she was living had purpose.

Half way back to the bear cages, Juliet ran into Phil. She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. He was sitting on the ground trying to wrap a piece of cloth around the arm of his jumpsuit. He was clearly injured, but what she couldn't fathom was why he hadn't unzipped his uniform first before trying to treat himself. Juliet had always tried not to let James' opinions influence her, but even she had to admit – Phil was a complete stooge.

"Phil, what happened?" she knelt down next to him, and began examining his arm. His sleeve was ripped and bloody.

"Juliet, what are you doing out here?" Phil asked.

"Making myself useful. Here, unzip your jumpsuit."

Phil did as he was told. With his arms exposed, Juliet could now see the deep, but not life-threatening, gash. She grabbed some aloe leaves off a nearby plant and began cleaning the wound as best she could.

"It doesn't look too bad, but you could use with a couple of stitches." She told him, taking the cloth from his hand and beginning to bind his arm. "Are you injured anywhere else?"

"No." Phil replied. "I don't think so. I hit my head against one of the cages, blacked out for a bit. When I came too everyone was gone."

"That would count as another injury you know." She said simply, examining his head. "Follow my finger."

Phil moved his eyes in time with her finger as she checked his reactions. "How do you know how to do all this? I thought you were a mechanic?"

"I used to be a doctor."

"Used to be?"

"I'm retired." She replied. "What do you mean everyone was gone? What happened? Who was shooting?"

"One of the bears got out of its cage. One of the scientists got spooked and grabbed a shotgun from one of the security team. The bear charged, took a bite outta my arm and everybody just started shooting. I ran to the weapons locker to grab a tranquilizer gun and by the time I got back La Fleur had arrived. I aimed my gun at the bear, hit my head and that's all I remember."

Juliet looked down. Phil's tranquilizer gun was lying at his feet. "Was anybody else hurt?"

Phil shrugged. "I think a couple guys might've got caught during the crossfire. I saw La Fleur take a hit before I passed out."

"What!" Juliet cried. "Who shot him?"

"What makes you think I – "

"Well I'm guessing it wasn't the _bears_." She snapped, picking both her rifle and the tranquilizer gun up off the ground.

"Hey! Where are you going? You can't just leave me here!" Phil yelled after her.

But Juliet was already gone.

***

She trudged through the thick brush, angry with herself for wasting precious minutes treating Phil. Logic told her that if she hadn't stopped to help him, she wouldn't know what had happened - not that knowing made her feel better.

She reached the cages. The place was as abandoned as Phil said it was, save for the rest of the bears still locked up. Juliet swept the area cautiously – the last thing she wanted was to meet the angry polar bear. There was a large pool of blood on the ground snaking its way into the jungle. Following the blood spatter, she decided it could've belonged to man or animal. She suspected the latter because she didn't see any bodies in the immediate vicinity.

She heard a rustling of leaves from somewhere ahead of her, and pointed her rifle at the sound. Seconds later, three bodies broke the tree line and Juliet's heart skipped a beat as she spotted James. She lowered her rifle and rushed over to him.

"What're you doin' here? Thought I told you to stay put?" he growled. He was clearly injured. Aside from the cuts and scrapes everywhere, a dark stain was seeping through his shirt. He took the rifle from her, as her hands shot up to explore his shoulder. Their eyes met, both of them evidently confused that they'd done it with absolutely no communication. "It's just a flesh wound." He told her.

"Still, you need to let me look at it properly." She replied.

"We got bigger problems. One of the bears is injured and we gotta track it down before it creates any more drama. You still haven't answered my damn question, what the hell are ya doin' out here?"

Juliet tried – and failed – not to be offended by his tone. Her face must have failed her too, because he softened his expression and grabbed her chin before she could swing away. She glared at him until she was forced to blink. The two security guys who'd come through the jungle with him, stared at the ground uncomfortably.

"Take a walk." Juliet ordered.

They blinked in surprise, but were not about to challenge her tone. They walked off towards the building on the other side of the cages. They were still within earshot when one turned to the other and said "We got a J-20 and they gotta stop to have a domestic."

If anything could have spiked Juliet's temper that was it. She poked James in the chest, before folding her arms across her own. "You know, one day I'm going to stop caring about whether or not you're okay. Sometimes you make me so… angry!"

"I make _you_ angry?" he shot back. "I _gave_ you an order."

"I'm not yours to order, James!"

"As head of security you damn well are mine to order! That way I know I can be out here doin' _my _job instead of worryin' about _you_." He spat.

"I'm a big girl, and I was taking care of myself long before you came along." She argued.

"Oh yeah you did a real good job of that. So good in fact, not only did you _let_ your husband cheat on you _repeatedly_, but you let a madman control your every move an' you let your _so-called_ people _brand_ you like an ox. I bet you just bent over an' let 'em give it to you without battering your pretty little eyelashes."

_Crack!_

His jaw nearly swung out of its socket as Juliet slapped him. She stepped right up into his face and spoke softly. "You know there are days, like yesterday, when I'm convinced that you're not such a bad guy. And then there are days, like today, when you remind me of all the reasons why you are. I guess you couldn't resist evening the score."

She tried to move, only to find that he was holding on to her arm. She looked down in confusion, not quite knowing what to do about it. "Let go."

"No." he said softly.

She flicked her eyes back to his face.

"Look." He said eventually. "I gotta go find a bear, and I can't do that if my head is still tryin' to think of a better comeback. So I'm sorry okay? It ain't you. It's this midget island, and you got that damn song stuck in my head."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"The Sedaka one, the one about bad blood. Let's just say that you got yours, an' I got mine. Some of it's here in those cages. Or it will be in thirty years." He squeezed her arm trying to reassure her but he could still see the confusion, and a hint of sadness, in her eyes. "Look I'll… I'll ask Jin if I can stay at his for a while. An' I'll talk to Horace about maybe findin' me another place."

Juliet fought an internal battle but eventually she nodded her head towards the trees. "The bear's injured. It'll dehydrate fast and head for water. There's a creek about forty-five minutes from here."

James nodded, relieved that even if she hadn't forgiven him she was at least talking to him. "Well let's go then."

Rifles in hand, the pair headed off into the jungle.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take a look at your shoulder first?" Juliet called back to him.

"You just _dyin'_ to get your hands on me aren't ya?"

"Don't flatter yourself. I just don't want you bleeding all over my nice clean carpet."

He smirked. "Floor's wood."

She tossed him an exasperated look.

"I'm fine." He assured her. "I just got grazed, and I promise you can kiss it all better once we find that damn bear."

Juliet flushed and looked ahead.

James raised his eyebrows. "Say somethin' wrong there?"

She snorted.

"Aside from my screw up back there I mean." He continued.

She turned around and smiled, acknowledging the apology before continuing on through the brush. "Well I'll do my best to patch you up, but I'm afraid if its kisses you want, you'll have to find somebody else. I hear your Texan cowgirl has opened her books."

"You jealous?"

"You wish."

***


	6. Wildfire

**A/N: 'Wildfire' is a 1975 hit by Michael Murphy.**

Chapter Six – Wildfire

_On wildfire we're gonna ride, oh_

_We're gonna leave sodbustin' behind_

_Get these hard times right on out of our mind_

_Riding Wildfire_

They were like wildfire, he reflected. One minute all that lay between them was the heat of the day and the next, one spark had set the entire field ablaze. When they argued, they argued big, each one determined to have the last word. It occurred to him that no one had ever stuck around long enough to come back for a second round. He was too quick with words, and was exceptional with words that stung. Some people would walk away – _or go running off to find the other guy that would kiss 'em better_ – but most people would learn to just stay away.

But the blonde with the gun walking through the grass just ahead of him, not only stayed put, she fired back with all the intensity of a cannon. She also forgave him more easily than anyone else ever had. Once she'd fired all her guns, she began patching up the bullet holes with a gentleness that belied her intensity. It was almost as if she understood who he was, who he'd been, and she wasn't about to ask him to change, but she damn well wasn't about to sit back and take it lying down either. He liked that about her. He liked that at the end of a very long day, they met at the dinner table as equals. He watched as she marched through the field, jaw set and determined. _Oh yeah._ He mused. _Definitely like wildfire._ Problem was – sometimes he had no idea where the breakers were.

***

Ten minutes in to their hunt, his foot slipped on the uneven earth and James grunted in pain. The action jarred through his entire body, aggravating his injured shoulder. Juliet turned round to look at him, and he knew she was debating with herself whether to leave him be or tie him down and treat his wound. He smiled in a way he thought would look both menacing and brave, and Juliet just gave him a look that told him she wasn't buying it. She didn't argue however, and continued on through the brush.

Five minutes later, he reached out and tapped her shoulder. She looked at him curiously.

"How much farther?" He whispered.

"About thirty minutes, twenty if we pick up the pace." She replied.

He nodded. "We need to take a detour."

"What? Why?" she asked.

"We need to get upwind. If the bear _is_ there, it already knows we're comin'."

She nodded back, and they changed direction so that they could come at the bear from behind. Another thirty minutes later, they sat crouched in the bushes watching the wounded animal. It was lying near a waterhole, its ribcage expanding and contracting rapidly. They could hear its labored breathing from their position – the doomed creature was obviously in a tremendous amount of pain.

Juliet handed her rifle to him, and checked the tranquilizer gun she was carrying. The plan was to come at it from either side, and dart the bear before it knew they were there. He knew she wasn't all that fond of leaving her rifle behind, but it was heavy and if anything _did_ go wrong she wouldn't have time to change guns anyway. He gave her a quick smile, and he knew by the way she patted his arm that she was confident he'd keep her in sight the entire time.

He waited until he could see her climbing over the boulders on the other side of the waterhole, and he had to admit he wasn't thrilled with the angle. If the bear had any energy left in him, she'd run out of room if he charged. But it was the only plan they had, and he'd just have to make sure that he was smarter than the bear. Raising his rifle, he crept forward.

***

Juliet held her breath as she stepped off the rocks. Placing one foot carefully in front of the other, gun held out ahead of her, she walked towards the wounded animal. She exhaled soundlessly. The tranquilizer gun didn't have a great range and she had to get as close as she could – as close as she dared. The polar bear was barely moving but that didn't mean it wasn't aware she was there. She flicked her eyes up to the bushes ahead of her. James was out there somewhere, even if she couldn't see him. Bringing her eyes back down to the bear, she was startled to find it staring right back at her - black eyes hard and angry. She'd barely registered the animal was conscious before it was on its feet and charging. Without hesitating she fired two shots at the furious beast. But the beast just kept on coming. _Oh shit._ She thought.

***

_Oh shit_. James thought, cocking his rifle and aiming once more. He fired once at the charging bear, scoring a direct hit to its flank. The bear buckled as the bullet tore at flesh, but it only seemed to make him angrier. It was up again in seconds, but seconds was all Juliet needed to turn around and run. James fired again, aiming at the bear's ankles. Both it, and Juliet were in his direct line of sight and he didn't want to risk hitting her. The bear roared in protest, and swiped at Juliet's exposed leg as she scrambled up the rocks. She managed to swing it out of the way before the animal's claws could sink in and take hold. James fired once more, the bullet exploding out of the bear's knee cap. Infuriated, it turned toward the source of its pain and with a roar that clapped like thunder, charged head down towards James.

Juliet jumped off the rocks and tore towards them both, emptying her tranquilizer gun into its matted, bloody fur. James stood his ground and fired round after round, wondering why on earth the bastard wasn't dead yet. The bear leapt, bowling him over and sending him flying across the ground. He felt a sharp pain in his chest as a claw sank into him, and then he was rolling away tumbling end of over end while the bear hit the ground with a resounding _thud_. James had just enough energy to turn his head - the bear lay still, the final bullet having hit it square between the eyes.

James squeezed his eyes shut. His vision was foggy, and his body ached. He registered Juliet circling the bear, making sure it was dead. Then he felt her hands on him and a voice whispering something that sounded like _"Oh, James." _It was the concern in her tone that forced him to open his eyes. He smiled weakly, and thought he'd like to wake up to that sight everyday. But her expression did not match his and he lowered his gaze toward her hands, spying the dart that was sticking out of his chest. His eyes rolled into his head as he forced his last shred of consciousness.

"Son of a bitch."

***


	7. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

**A/N: 'LSD' - technically a Beatles hit, but Elton John did a cover in 1975 that made it all the way to the top 100 chart. So much thanks goes to my friend and newly pronounced veterinerian Caladria, who lectured me for an hour on what I could and couldn't do with animal tranquilizers, you honestly helped shape this chapter and the previous one. You totally made it feasible!  
**

Chapter Seven – Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

_Picture yourself in a boat on a river_

_With tangerine trees and marmalade skies_

_Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly_

_A girl with kaleidoscope eyes_

Juliet's hands shook slightly as she removed the dart from his chest. James was breathing evenly so she took that as a good sign. Placing both of her arms underneath his armpits, she lifted him up and dragged him to the shade. She went back for the dart, trying like hell to remember everything she could about her pharmacology labs. She remembered enough to know that anything that could knock down a thousand pound bear would kill a human instantly. So by all accounts, James should be dead.

She snatched up the dart, wiping furiously at her nose - she hadn't realized she was crying until her hand came away wet. She rolled the dart over in her hand, holding it up and scrutinizing it. In tiny lettering she just made out the word "cow" and her knees nearly buckled in relief. If the tranquilizer was used for the Island's cattle then it was likely a sedative or a muscle relaxant. Juliet released a breath she hadn't known she was holding and went back to where James was lying. He was knocked out, but his breathing was still steady. Juliet checked his vitals and examined his bruises, trying to stifle her panic. The tranquilizer might not have been enough for the bears, but she was under no illusions that a man's weight wasn't anywhere near the equivalent of a cow's. Best case scenario she could expect nausea and hallucination. Worst case scenario – she refused to think about.

Juliet fetched some water and tore off a piece of her shirt to wipe his brow. She worked on his shoulder and took her time cleaning each and every one of the cuts to his skin. Working methodically, she wiped at bits of blood and cleared the dirt away. She spoke to him softly, letting him know what she was doing and that he'd be alright - whether the latter was for him or for her own sake she didn't know.

Thirty minutes later she felt him move beside her. His arm shot out in a jerky motion and whacked her in the knee.

"James." She whispered, pressing her palms to his cheeks. "James, it's Juliet. Can you hear me?"

A groan escaped his lips and Juliet thought she'd never heard a sweeter sound. He was still out of it and probably would be for hours, but he was conscious and that was all that mattered.

Sometime later she heard him mumble the word "Jet" and she took that as his attempt at saying her name.

She grasped his hand. "I'm here."

"Wha –"

"You were hit with a sedative. You're going to be okay. I think… I think it was meant for cows." She told him.

"Mm."

She sat with him for the next hour as he fell in and out of consciousness. Each time he woke he mumbled a word or two before slipping away again. While she waited for him to become lucid, she reflected on how stupid they'd both been. Their argument had distracted them both and they'd gone marching off – alone – with no walkie and no tranquilizer antidote. She hadn't even checked the gun - she'd just assumed Phil had known what he was doing! She shook her head, angry with herself for being so careless. Her eyes didn't seem to want to stop leaking either, which only made her angrier. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

"I don't suppose you've noticed." He said slowly, his speech sluggish. "But polar bears are bigger 'n cows."

She smiled and choked out a sob, before kissing his damp forehead.

"Mm. Nice bedside manner you've got there Blondie." He mumbled.

Juliet rested her forehead against his. "I'm so sorry."

"S'alright."

She sat up and looked at him. His eyes were glassy and she doubted they were going to be able to walk out of here anytime soon.

"Help… sit…" he said.

She tugged at his arms and supporting his back tried to lift him into a sitting position. He hovered for a few seconds before eliciting a groan and crashing back down. Juliet lifted his head gently and placed it in her lap. She stroked his hair and waited for him to regain consciousness.

***

Almost an hour later, he startled her by sitting bolt upright and screaming "Get your hands off me!"

"James?" Juliet said.

He was trying to stand, but his hands and feet were uncoordinated. He stumbled and crashed to his knees. "It's every man for himself!" he yelled at the sky before keeling over and landing face down in the dirt.

"Oh boy." Juliet sighed before racing to his side and rolling him over.

His eyelids fluttered rapidly and his head moved from side to side as if in rhythm to a song.

"You hungry Freckles?" He said, before waving his arm at the air and mumbling. "I'm guessing most of these boys have never seen any real action. But that blonde who had a gun pointed at you? She would have shot you - no problem."

Juliet almost wished she had somewhere to run. The last thing she wanted was to bear witness to his memories.

"You're just looking for some excuse to split, and now you got one. But it's alright, Freckles, I ain't gonna hold it against you. I'm just gonna sit right here in my comfy bed. Because in about a week, you'll find some reason to get pissed at Jack and bounce right back to me."

There was nothing she could do. Without an antidote to speed up his recovery, he was just going to have to ride out the effects of the hallucinogen on his own.

"Just leave me alone, damn it. Put some clothes on." He growled.

His eyes shot open and stared directly into Juliet's. "Sooner or later, they're going to let their guard down. And when they do, we're going to be there to put them in their place."

Juliet hugged her knees, watching him as he talked to his past.

"You already said you didn't stay behind for me. So at least be woman enough to tell me you want to use me for something." He told a tree.

"I would never use you James." She found herself saying.

His head turned at the sound of her voice. "I wasn't about to tell you anythin'."

She shuffled forward and ran her fingers through his hair. His hand reached out and tugged at her arm, pulling her down beside him.

"You just _had_ to say something." He whispered.

Juliet lay on her side and placed her hand on his chest. "Guess I did." She whispered back.

"You don't have to be a wiseass." He said, his fingers closing around hers.

"I can't help myself." She smiled.

"Time travel's a bitch."

"Tell me about it." She whispered.

"Just gimme two weeks, that's all I'm asking."

"And nine months later here I am lying in the dirt waiting for you to recover from the tranquilizer I shot you with." She giggled.

He giggled, or made a sound which Juliet thought passed for a giggle. "I'm glad you did."

"Shoot you?"

"Stay."

"I'm not going anywhere." She said.

"I don't… don't think she ever really loved me."

"Maybe she did, in her own way."

"She left."

"Yeah. She did."

"With the Doc."

Juliet nodded dumbly.

"Jet didn't leave."

"No." she replied.

He rolled on to his side and grinned. "D'you think she's ever gonna sleep with me?"

She hesitated, staring into his unfocused eyes. "Nope."

"That's a shame. It'd've been like wildfire."

Her brow creased as she tried to dissect his analogy.

"Y'know the on'y good thing about bad blood? Is lettin' it slide…" He leant over and kissed her, his lips landing on hers at an awkward angle so that he was half kissing her nose. She fought the urge to laugh, knowing that if she did she would most likely invite a repeat performance of their New Year's exploration. She also wasn't entirely sure _who_ he was trying to kiss. Eventually he slid down to the ground and fell asleep under her chin, and Juliet held him once more.

***


	8. I Shot The Sheriff

**A/N: I shot the sheriff is a 1974 hit by Eric Clapton, and I honestly could not resist the title!**

Chapter Eight – I Shot The Sheriff.

_Reflexes got the better of me_

_And what is to be must be._

The _first_ thing he registered was a headache so bad he thought he must have drank the Mississippi in booze. The _second_ thing he registered was that he was very _definitely_ lying in the arms of a woman. His brain struggled to put the two things together. Opening his eyes seemed all but impossible – not necessarily a bad thing considering he might have just done something outstandingly stupid. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of rolling over and figuring out how to undo… whatever he had done. He was sure that would only make the feeling in his head that much worse. Although… he had to admit whoever she was, she felt soft and warm. It almost made up for the fact that it felt like he was lying on rocks. _Wait a sec. _Am _I lyin' on rocks?_ His eyes fluttered open briefly. The room was in darkness and the ceiling was decorated in glow-in-the-dark stars. _Oh God_.

He lay there for another minute trying to get his brain to debate the pros and cons of moving. _She smells like earth, and honey. _He mused. He breathed in her scent, and registered the feel of her hand resting gently on his torso. _Not a bad feeling. _He allowed. _And she smells kinda nice, like the soap from the bathroom…like the soap from _our _bathroom. The one Juliet uses. Juliet…uses…_He counted to five and opened his eyes again.

The stars – real stars he realized – greeted him overhead. The sky was blue and black, and somewhere in the distance the sun was a few seconds away from disappearing behind the horizon altogether. He glanced down at the hand holding his body, and knew without doubt that it belonged to his roommate. And then it hit him – the Hydra, the bear, the dart – and now a strong sense of nausea. He groaned.

The movement caused her to stir beside him, her hand sliding down his chest as she rolled.

"Ouch." he moaned again and caught her hand before it travelled too far. "Watch where you're goin' with that thing."

"Umf." Juliet mumbled sleepily before opening her eyes and looking at him. "Hey." She croaked. She sat up and stretched the kinks out of her body, parts of which had fallen asleep.

James watched as she arched her back, and allowed the sweet feeling of relief to flood through him – he was glad he'd woken up underneath the stars with Juliet and not tacky décor with a stranger. She raised her eyebrows at his sigh, but said nothing. He tried to raise himself up onto his elbows and grunted with the effort. Juliet grabbed his arms and he clung to her for support. She helped him upright but the motion disagreed with his head and he had to rest it between his knees. He fought back the bile rising in his throat. The last thing he wanted right now was to throw up.

"You okay?" she said softly, rubbing gentle circles on his back.

"Uggg." He replied.

She smiled, her hand pausing on his back. "That good huh?"

"Mm." he grunted. "That feel's nice."

"What? This?" she resumed moving her hand across his back.

"Yeah. What do I have to do to get one of _those_ everyday?"

She laughed. "Get hit by a dart."

"Mm. Thanks for that by the way."

She looked out over her shoulder. "Yeah well, you _will_ wrestle with a bear."

He could hear the worry in her voice and he also knew her well enough to know she only ever looked away when she was trying to hide what she was feeling. "Hey."

She turned her head back toward him.

He touched a finger to her cheek, his hand still a little shaky. She smiled a little and nodded.

"So you gotta plan for gettin us outta here?" he asked.

"Nope." She replied.

"You wanna carry me?" he teased.

"Nope." She smiled.

"Think you should try. You _did_ just shoot me with a dart."

Juliet gave him a look. "How long can I expect you to hold this against me?"

James grinned lopsidedly. "Hm. Will a week do you?"

Her mouth twitched. "James, I'm –"

"I know." He interrupted. "We'll just write this day off as one for the grandkids."

Juliet blinked. "Whose?"

"What?"

"Grandkids?"

"Oh." He coughed. "Y'know just… whoever… kids in general, I don't know."

Juliet looked down as silence fell between them.

"Awkward?" He said eventually.

"Uh huh." She replied.

"So… what's for dinner?"

She laughed. "Polar bear?"

He grinned. "Ain't my type."

Juliet shook her head. "You're very difficult to please Mr. La Fleur, you know that?"

He laughed softly. "I don't know, you seem to be doin' alright."

She ducked her head in what _he_ was sure was an attempt to hide a blush. "How's your shoulder?"

He raised his eyebrow at the change in subject. "Still waitin' for Miss Texas to come along an' kiss it better."

Juliet lowered her eyes at him, fighting back a smile.

"Well you weren't volunteerin'!" he teased.

"I –"

The low rumblings of a vehicle interrupted Juliet's sentence.

"I think you've just been rescued there." He said, staring at her pointedly.

Juliet pushed herself up onto her feet and scanned the tree line. "I see headlights."

James tried to swivel around. "Here, help me up."

She reached down, grabbed his hands and pulled him up. "You're heavy." She grunted as he leant on her for support.

"You shot me with a dart." He countered.

"Fair enough." She replied.

Juliet raised the arm that had briefly supported his midriff to wave down the approaching van. It came to a halt just shy of their position. Phil, two other security guys – the same two that Juliet had told to take a hike earlier – and an older man in a white lab coat got out.

"Mr. La Fleur, Sir! We've been searching for you for hours."

"Well gee Phil looks like you found me. Well done." James drawled.

"Thank you, Sir!"

James looked at Juliet. She blinked back at him with an expression he was sure only he could decode. His lips twitched.

"You didn't have your walkie, Sir."

"I'm aware of that Phil, thanks."

"Protocol –"

"I know!" James interrupted. "Things just got outta hand. We were distracted."

"By what?" Phil pressed.

"Where's the bear?" the scientist asked.

"Over here." Juliet said. "Come on I'll show you." She unwrapped herself from James, making sure he had grasped the vehicle for support before letting go entirely.

"By what?" Phil repeated.

"By the bear dammit, what do you think?" James snarled.

Juliet grabbed a flashlight and walked off with the Lab Coat.

"By the spat with his Missus more like." one of the other guys mumbled.

"You wanna shut your mouth there? Or you want my fist to do it for you?" James growled.

They wilted under his stare, and he took the opportunity to turn his head in Juliet's direction. If she'd heard, she made no indication. "I hear you talk like that again, and you _will_ go up on review. You got that? She just saved my ass, what were you doin'? Sittin' on yours?"

He ignored the mumbles of "Sorry, Sir." and sat down on the end of the open van. "You give Juliet the trank gun?" he directed at Phil.

Phil nodded, not quite sure whether the dog box included him.

"You check it first?"

"Sir?"

"When you grabbed it outta the locker? Did. You. Check. It?"

Phil looked at the ground. "There was a lot going on, I –"

James waved him off. "Forget it. You may have done me a favor there."

He looked up at the approaching footsteps. Juliet was on her way back with the scientist, whose name he couldn't place.

"Juliet was just explaining to me what happened. You got lucky. We use Xylazine for the cattle when we need to sedate them. Let's us transport them easily, or calm them when one of them gets sick. Are you nauseas?"

"Yep." James managed.

"That's to be expected. The good news is it _will_ pass, and by Juliet's account you've already gone through the worst of it."

James glanced at Juliet as she sat down beside him and noticed she wasn't quite looking at him. He raised his eyebrows. "I don't recall much."

"The analgesia numbs the senses for a while. Sedation lasts much longer. An overdose in humans prolongs the side effects, but there's no lasting damage. Leaves you a little loopy though. Must have been some trip."

He gave another fleeting look at Juliet. Even in the darkness he could just make out the crimson glow creeping up her neck. James nodded. "Too bad I missed it. Can we get goin?"

Phil nodded as they all climbed into the van.

"What happened to the children?" Juliet asked.

"We put them on the boats about two hours ago, sent them back to the main Island." Phil called over his shoulder as he jumped into the driver's seat and started up the engine.

Juliet sat opposite James and couldn't avoid his gaze much longer. He nudged her ankle with his own and gave her a smile. It was something, he realized, that he only ever reserved for her. The other security men sat watching them and James glowered at the two until they looked away. Juliet managed a tired smile in return.

"Probably too late to head back tonight. We'll have to camp in the bungalows." Phil told them.

James sighed. "Swell."

***


	9. I Don't Like To Sleep Alone

**A/N: 'I don't like to sleep alone' is a 1975 hit Paul Anke. Once again thank you to my patient beta Ann for being incredible! And thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting you've all been fantastic! This is the final chapter for this story, I thought long and hard about where I wanted this story to go and how I wanted it to end and I hope you've all enjoyed this little venture. Before anyone asks, this will definitely not be my last fic. I really am enjoying figuring out the dynamics of Sawyer and Juliet's relationship so I think I can continue on for a while yet so long as folks still want to read.**

Chapter Nine – I Don't Like To Sleep Alone

_I don't like to sleep alone_

_Stay with me_

_Don't go_

_Talk with me for just a while_

_So much of you to get to know_

Juliet rested her hands on the wooden balcony and gazed out at the jungle. The morning sun hit the dew on the leaves, sending prisms of light reflecting back. All was still, save for the birds singing in the aviaries. Sighing deeply, she stretched her aching muscles. She cast a glance at the cabin next to hers and wondered how James had faired. The bungalows were small and cramped. They reminded her of camp.

Uniform bunk-beds stood floor to ceiling and the only real privacy was the ability to draw a curtain. Each bungalow had a small bathroom with a shower unit, which Juliet had been grateful for. She'd been able to wash the sweat and dirt from her body before crawling into the tiny space to sleep. She was also grateful not to be a scientist working on Hydra Island. She didn't like the idea of having to camp in here every time you couldn't get back to the Dharma compound.

She headed down the steps and out onto the jungle floor. There wasn't anywhere for her to go, but she wanted to escape the unfamiliar sounds of the other sleeping women. She wasn't sure how _anyone_ could get any sleep in there - not with that woman above her breathing like a fog horn.

She wandered down past the aviaries – the last time she'd been here they were empty and the bars had rusted with age. Now they teemed with a colorful variety of bird-life. She was still a bit too tired to watch them for more than a few minutes and moved on through the bushes looking for somewhere quiet to sit and enjoy the morning.

_I swear this is the last time I go _anywhere _on a weekend._

***

"Well there's somethin'."

She was lying on her back with her eyes closed when she heard the familiar drawl. She smiled. "What is?"

She felt him sit down beside her.

"You bein' up before me. Must be some kinda record."

She turned her head towards him and opened her eyes. He was grinning down at her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Oh those tiny beds are just _built_ for big guys like me."

Her entire body shook with laughter.

He scratched the top of her head with his finger. "I hold you accountable." He said, his eyes twinkling.

She covered her face with her arms, going pink in the process.

"Still more bothered than hot?" he teased.

She sat up, trying to find the words to counter him and her embarrassment only amused him more.

While he waited for her to find her voice again, he stared out at their surroundings. They were sitting in a small clearing, jungle surrounding them on all sides. He frowned. "Are we… sittin where I think we're sittin'?"

Juliet glanced at him. "Yep."

"Interestin' choice of location."

"I'm being sentimental." She said.

He coughed. "Mind if I frisk you quick?"

"Excuse me?"

"I just wanna know in advance if this ends with me being electrocuted."

She rolled her eyes upward and he chuckled. "I don't know why I came out here. Just… you said some things when you were out of it and I… I have no idea why I'm here."

"You gonna tell me what I said?"

"You talked about a lot of things actually. It was mostly garbled - I didn't really catch a lot of it."

"Juliet." He said quietly.

She sighed. "Kate, mostly. It was… like you were talking _to_ her, like you were re-living different moments. I think you were back in the cages for a while there."

He looked at her, trying to read the thoughts behind her eyes.

"Um… I guess it really is my fault," She added, smiling slightly. "Going and bringing up the past. Guess it was on your mind too. You _did_ have an _entire_ conversation with me though."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It didn't make a whole lot of sense." She laughed.

"And the parts that did?" he asked, watching the blush take hold of her cheeks.

She gave him a fleeting look before shutting her eyes.

"Hey." he touched her knee. "If I said somethin' or did somethin' inappropriate then -"

She shook her head. "You didn't. You were… nice… actually."

"Huh. Guess it had to happen sometime."

"See, good things happen when you get shot." She nudged his arm.

"So good in fact it turns your cheeks bright red."

She glared at him as he grinned. She wasn't sure it was possible to get any more flustered, but it seemed he was proving her wrong.

"Okay I'll stop now."

"Thank you." She said.

They sat for a while, swapping glances and not quite knowing where to go from there.

"Do you still miss her?" she said eventually.

"I did… in the beginning. I guess you… move on. She left and she ain't comin' back. Even if I'd stayed on that chopper and we made it wherever the heck it was goin', she'd have been as _good_ at makin' decisions in the real world as she _was_ makin' 'em here."

Juliet nodded slowly. She didn't really know what to say.

"Sometimes you meet someone an' you think, maybe I got somethin', maybe there is such a thing as – I dunno – soul mates." He paused. "But it doesn't work out an' you doubt it all, an' you're just tryin' to figure out what to do next. An' then one day you wake up an' you realize that you spent so much time thinkin' about what you lost, that you didn't see what you found."

Juliet stopped nodding and turned her head slowly. He nudged her gently and she smiled. "You don't have to go stay at Jin's." she said quietly. "You have a tough enough job as it is and Horace is not going to be happy to hear you're sleeping on a couch."

"I'm drivin' you crazy Jule. You know it, I know it. Seems like all we've done lately is argue."

Juliet bit her lip. "I know. I'm sorry. You're just… you're always… _there_."

"_That's_ a little clearer." He said.

"I didn't mean…" she sighed. "It's stupid."

"You ain't ever had someone around who cares _that_ much about how your day went." He finished for her.

Her forehead crinkled and she nodded once.

"_An'_ you don't know how to let anyone take care of you." He pointed out.

She opened her mouth to argue but he stifled her protest. "And I'm a man, an' it bothers you that you like havin' me around. Last time you depended on one, he went an' left you behind. I get it."

Juliet let out a breath. "Yeah. I guess you do."

He put his arm around her shoulders and grinned. "I like havin' you around too."

***

Juliet stood on the beach feeling self-conscious and awkward, watching as James organized them a boat. She marveled at his strength and his insistence that he take charge, wondering if there was anything that _could _incapacitate him. He was walking around barking orders and looking fierce. The man seemed to be able to bounce back from anything and she had to admit, she liked the feeling of being taken care of.

He caught sight of her watching him and waved. She saw a few of the scientists tossing her an enviable stare and realized that the persona of Jim La Fleur was a lot tougher and far more intimidating than the man she knew as James. Whilst Jim could flatten anybody with just one look and nobody dared question his orders, James could be beaten into submission with a head tilt and a spoon pointed at his face - this was how she'd taught him about toilet seats. She gave him a big smile and waved back, trying not to feel too sorry for everyone else - knowing full well they all thought she was giving him something that they weren't.

"Hooked us a ride home." He told her, some ten minutes later.

"Bullied more like." she replied.

"Wanted to get ya home in time to make me a good pot roast."

She laughed. "I guess I could do that. If you're willing to risk my cooking."

"As long as you ain't bakin' anythin' I'll survive." He grinned.

She punched him gently and he grasped at his ribs dramatically.

"Is it really that bad?" she asked mock seriously, trying to ignore the fact that her hand was currently trapped between his hands and his chest.

"Nah." He said. "Best I've had."

She realized as she counted the beats of his heart that she was probably in a fair amount of trouble here. For all her attempts at independence, she was doing a really poor job maintaining distance. James was a part of her life and she liked the assurance that came with having him around. In a way, the intimacy that they shared as friends was far closer than she'd ever experienced with a lover. She was attracted to it because it was a closeness that wasn't about sex or bottom lines, but about honesty and a genuine interest in each others lives. She wasn't ready to think about the fact there was something more simmering below the surface. Hallucination or not, he'd said some very questionable things about the nature of their relationship and even if he'd never acted on what was probably a very carnal instinct, she realized he had in fact thought about it. She also realized she wasn't offended, which came as a surprise, in fact she was quite flattered. She just wasn't ready to admit how much.

As if sensing her thoughts, he let go of her hand and tugged gently at her wrist. "C'mon, let's go home."

"Sounds good to me." She replied. "On one condition."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Stay." She said. "I don't want you to go. So… please stay."

He smiled. "On one condition."

She laughed. "Oh boy."

"Next time you wanna make a point by buryin' my jumpsuit, could ya make sure the spare ain't in the laundry? I had sand everywhere!"

His expression caused her to laugh even more and he flicked a finger at her arm in response.

"Deal." She said. They reached the Zodiac and she swung 'round to face him. "I have a confession to make."

He folded his arms across his chest. "Do I need to be sittin' down for this?"

"When I was in my senior year, Missy Goldberg and I stole all the clothes from the boys' locker room and pulled the fire alarm while they were in the shower."

His mouth twitched and failed to suppress the grin. "There's hope for you yet."

END


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